KSU’s Coles College of Business earns
maintenance of accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), leading global accrediting body for business schools, also renews accreditation of accounting program

Director of University Relations
Frances Weyand Harrison
770-423-6203
fharris4@kennesaw.edu

Contact:
Aixa M. Pascual 678-797-2549
apascual@kennesaw.edu

KENNESAW, Ga. (Jan. 15, 2010) — The Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, one of the top business schools in the South, had its accreditation reaffirmed this month by the leading global accrediting body for business schools.

The Coles College of Business maintained its accreditation with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), a sought-after stamp of approval bestowed upon the best business schools in the world after a rigorous quality review. Less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools have earned AACSB International accreditation.

“This accreditation is a testament to the Coles College’s outstanding academic quality,” said KSU Provost Lendley Black. “We are in the company of the best business schools in the world.”

The reaffirmation of accreditation by AACSB International comes weeks after BusinessWeek magazine named the Coles College of Business’ part-time M.B.A. among the best in the country. Last fall, CEO Magazine ranked KSU’s Executive M.B.A. among the best in the U.S. in its “2009 Global MBA Rankings” edition.

To maintain its accreditation, the Coles College of Business has to undergo a rigorous review by academic leaders of peer business schools every five years. As part of the review, the Coles College of Business must demonstrate its commitment to 21 rigorous standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.

“The leadership, faculty and staff of the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State continue to fulfill the high expectations required of AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Through this, they consistently deliver outstanding academic programs to an ever growing constituency, and we congratulate them on earning their maintenance of accreditation.” AACSB International also renewed accreditation of the business school’s accounting program. Only 170 business schools across the globe maintain AACSB International accreditation for their accounting programs.

“AACSB International provides the most prestigious academic accreditation available for business schools,” said W. Ken Harmon, dean of the Coles College of Business. “This achievement is a reflection of the high-quality programs the Coles College offers. Moreover, it is a tribute to the incredible efforts of our extremely talented faculty and staff.”

The Coles College of Business has become one of the most renowned business schools in the South, with some of its academic programs and centers –– including the Cox Family Enterprise Center, the Corporate Governance Center and the Center for Professional Selling –– earning national reputations. The Coles College of Business is the second-largest business school in the state, with more than 5,000 students, and offers 12 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

In the past year, the Coles College of Business has added innovative graduate programs to reflect the needs of the market. The Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), launched in fall 2009, is targeted to working professionals who want to pursue a doctorate. In the past year, the Coles College of Business has added dual M.B.A./M.P.A. and M.B.A./M.S.I.S. programs, setting it apart from other universities in Georgia.

AACSB International, founded in 1916, is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

For a link to the AACSB International news release announcing KSU’s maintenance of accreditation, please go to https://www.aacsb.edu/media/releases/2010/accreditation-jan-10.asp

For more information on the Coles College of Business, please go to http://coles.kennesaw.edu/

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Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 70 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including new doctorates in education, business and nursing. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 22,300 from 142 countries.